Thrilled with the HTC M9

In choosing a new phone, we often go through some kind of internal struggle about which device to get and it’s usually based on just a few variables. These are namely rooted in performance, price and style/look and feel. After my LG Nexus 5 finally became unusable (the screen cracked beyond any kind of possible repair), I had this very debate with myself and ultimately chose to go with the HTC M9.

The choice is easier than you think

If you are generally drawn to the latest and greatest phone at any cost, then the decision will probably not be that difficult for you (iPhone 6, OnePlus, Blackberry PRIV). But if you’re on a budget of some kind, you can probably eliminate a few variables just based on price alone. Personally, I just can’t justify shelling out anywhere between $400 and $900 for a device which I’ll probably crack at some point anyway. I just can’t do it. So as much as I love the look and feel of the OnePlus devices and the PRIV (which had me under its spell for about a week), it’s just not happening.

Also, the HTC M9 cost me 0$ through my existing provider and plan, a fact that put it way ahead in the running and so, I could not resist. My other decision making criteria were principle based meaning that I would also stay away from LG this time around. Based on my previous experience with the Nexus 5, I found the phone exceptionally cheap although it did serve me well. Its downfall was that it actually bent in my pocket, causing a hairline crack in the screen, which only degraded. I replaced the screen but that didn’t last more than a few months before it completely imploded for good. Granted once a phone breaks, it’s never quite the same.

Looks great in the kitchen too, even amongst the raisins,

And now for something completely different, and very powerful

My second principle based choice was to stay away from Samsung products as well. Call it “brand burnout” or whatever (I really did love my old Nexus S warrior phone) but this time around I was willing to try something different. And so, my finger landed on the HTC M9.

I was actually drawn to the gunmetal gray model (turns out, I’m officially burnt out on black phones as well), but the tipping point in my decision were the specs. Here are some of them:

What do you need all that power for anyway?

Yes, that sweet Snapdragon 810 action hanging out with the octa core Cortex CPU. You know, whatever the hell’s going on in today’s phones doesn’t even matter anymore for the average user. They’re super powerful and that will only increasing as the tech improves. Impressive power to wield for the casual user and ample power the play Pocket Mortys with, oh yeah.

Sidenote: The M9 gets hot while running intensive tasks (such as playing Pocket Mortys). Not too surprising as this happened with the Nexus 5 as well and happens with most high performance devices. One thing these phones don’t have is a fan. Maybe it’s time 😉

Seriously, after a week of use, I’ve really enjoyed familiarizing myself with M9. Nice and sleek to look at, solid weight in your hand that does not feel cheap and kick ass speakers which do well in a pinch to listen to music sans stereo system.

After un-boxing my M9 and setting it up, I immediately got a million HTC Sense and Android updates, all the way up to Marshmallow, so that’s cool. Software wise however, I don’t really love the whole HTC Sense framework. I will use it as is for awhile and give it a chance but I think I’ll ultimately switch to a custom ROM at some point and that will open up a whole new decision making process.